title: Comparative behavioural profile of newer antianxiety drugs on different mazes.
abstract: Anxiety is associated with diverse range of psychiatric conditions. In the present study, antianxiety effect of fluoxetine, citalopram (SSRI's), gabapentin (antiepileptic drugs), venlafaxine (SNRI), clozapine and resperidone (atypical antipsychotics) and a herbal preparation ashwagandha on elevated zero maze and elevated plus maze paradigms was examined. Anti-anxiety potentials of these drugs were compared with diazepam. The drugs tested i.e. fluoxetine (10 mg/kg), citalopram (10 mg/kg), clozapine (0.25, 0.5, 1 mg/kg), resperidone.(0.5, 1 mg/kg), venlafaxine (4, 8, 16 mg/kg), citalopram (10 mg/kg), fluoxetine (10 mg/kg), gabapentin (10, 20 mg/kg) and ashwagandha (100, 200 mg/kg) significantly increased the number of open arm entries and time spent in open arm. These drugs also decreased the latency to enter in open arm as compared to control in both the paradigms. Present study confirms the antianxiety activity of different newer classes of drugs and found some of them comparable to diazepam in both the elevated zero maze and elevated plus maze paradigm.
authors.affiliation: Centre with Potential for Excellence in Biomedical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160 014, India. skpu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Shrinivas K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
authors.forename: Kulwinder
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Mahendra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bishnoi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents